An earthquake of record magnitude struck Morocco late last Friday. The earthquake, which left more than 2,900 dead and 5,600 injured, caused material damage in several regions, mainly rural. Decryption.
Where was the epicenter located?
The epicenter of the earthquake was recorded approximately 71 km from Marrakech, in Ighil, a rural commune located in the heart of the High Atlas, a mountain range that runs through the central regions of Morocco. It was especially the surrounding villages that were most heavily affected by the earthquake.
Which regions are most affected?
The earthquake struck in the Marrakech-Safi region, which includes Marrakech, as well as the coastal cities of Safi and Essaouira. However, the most affected provinces are those of Al-Haouz — where the epicenter is located — and Chichaoua, in the Marrakech-Safi region, but also the provinces of Taroudant to the south, in the Souss-Massa region, as well as Ouarzazate towards the east, in the Drâa-Tafilalet region, and Azilal, northeast of the epicenter, in the Béni Mellal-Khénifra region. The kingdom defines these provinces as being mainly rural environments.
“Everything stopped in this area,” explains Touhami Abdelkhalek, professor at the Faculty of Governance, Economic and Social Sciences at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, contacted in Rabat by The duty. “Let’s be clear: in the city of Marrakech, everything is back to normal. But in rural areas, there is nothing left. […]. The roads are blocked. We can clearly see that we cannot access marketing or services. »
The rural environment is historically poorer than average in Morocco compared to urban centers, explains the researcher, who has worked extensively on poverty within the kingdom. “Incomes are low, productivity is low, there is a lot of illiteracy, people live in the mountains… Whether in the affected areas [par le séisme] or in other rural areas. »
This difference between urban and rural environments in the country dates back to past centuries, when the French administration, at the time of the protectorate, split the country into two: “useful”, urban and economically prosperous Morocco, and “useful” Morocco. useless”, an area abandoned by French settlers. Mainly rural, this area extends diagonally from the city of Oujda, in the northeast, to Agadir, located on the Atlantic coast, in the southeast.
In this region, even since independence, “catch-up has not happened in terms of income,” explains the professor. In the province of Al-Haouz, in particular, not only are incomes low, but access to education and health is restricted, he emphasizes. The houses there are still designed in a traditional way, and are therefore not always as solid as more modern constructions in urban areas.
The province of Al-Haouz has the highest number of deaths, i.e. 1,684 out of the 2,946 recorded nationwide, according to the latest report from the Ministry of the Interior.
What is the extent of the material damage?
The scale of human losses and material damage in this region can be explained in part by the initial economic situation of the region, confirms Mr. Abdelkhalek.
Data from the European Copernicus observatory shows the extent of the damage in eight municipalities in the country which suffered significant damage following the earthquake. As of September 12, the Copernicus Emergency Management Service (CEMS) counted 1,416 damaged residences spread across the eight regions studied. It is in Talat N’Yaaqoub and Amizmiz that there are the most residences completely destroyed by the earthquake, with 208 and 121 houses destroyed respectively.
In addition to the destroyed residences, the commune of Talat N’Yaaqoub is also the one with the most damage: 236 homes were damaged by the earthquake, and Copernicus also has 74 others “possibly damaged”.
In the surroundings of Amizmiz, it is in the small village of Tafeghaghte that there are the largest number of destroyed houses. Located around fifty kilometers from the epicenter, the village was almost completely destroyed by the earthquake.
What awaits Morocco in the coming weeks?
At the moment, the priority remains disaster relief. In the long term, however, it is still too early to anticipate what is coming, explains Touhami Abdelkhalek. An interministerial commission was set up by the kingdom to coordinate long-term reconstruction efforts.
Beyond compensation for property or a resumption of local economic activities, the biggest issue will remain the reconstruction of destroyed housing and the infrastructure surrounding them: roads, irrigation canals, schools, hospitals. …
” For the moment [cette organisation] is not yet clear, it is not yet structured, says the researcher. We know that there is a support fund. We know that there will be international aid. But, will it be enough? How will this be distributed to affected households and regions? »
With Agence France-Presse